Device for handling and lowering ships&#39; boats.



S. E. AARON. DEVICE Fox HANDLING AND LOWERING SHIPS' BOATS.

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APPLICATION FILED I'ISB.1, 1913.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

S.E.AAR0N. DEVICE FOR HANDLING AND LOWERING SHIPS BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED I'EILI, 1913` S. E. AARON. DEVISE FOR HANDLING AND LOWBRING SHIPS BOATS.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ATTORNEY SJE.AARON. DEVICE FOR HANDLING AND LOWERING SHIPS BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED 'EB.1,1913, Ll, Patented Jan.5,195.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

SOLOMON E. AARON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

DEVICE FOR HANDLING AND LOWERING SHIPS BOATS.

specification of Letters Patent.

patenten aan. a, tiara.

Application filed February 1, 1913; Serial No. 745,634.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, SOLOMON E. AARON, a citizen of the United States, residing in Boston, in the -county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, '(whose post-otlice address is 93 Henley street, Charlestown, Massachusetts,) have invented certain new and useful improvements in Devices for Handling and Lowering Ships Boats, of which thefollow ing is a specification.

My invention relates to the means and methods for handling ships boats when they-are to be lowered into the water from vthe ships deck and returned from the water 'to the ships deck.

My invention consists; first, of a certain form of windlass device for winding up and unwinding the fall or whip of a tackle used-in lowering a'nd raising ships boats; second, for suitable and safe means for operating said windlass.

The objects of my invention are: First, to provide certain mechanical devices, and means and methods for. operating the same, whereby the passengers and crew of a disabled or sinking ship maybe surely and very quickly saved, taking oitl the last man from the deck. Second, to provide a device by the use of which boats may be loaded with passengers when on the chocks on the ships deck, raised, swung over the rail and safely and quickly lowered to the water. Third, to provide a device requiring only a single rope or wire cable at each davit, thus dispensing entirely with the use of compound tackle or the use of double or triple tackle blocks for said tackle.' Fourth, to so construct said device that in handling a boat it may always be maintained on an even keel. Fifth, to provide means for detaohing the device located at one davit from that on the other, so that in the event of an accident to the ship whereby it is sinking by the bow, or by the stern, and the deck being thereby considerably inclined, one of ...e ropes or cables may be run out far enough tot compensate for the inclination of the ships deck and the devices on each davit quickly connected, upon which the boat may be lowered on an even keel without regard to the inclination of the ships deck. Sixth, to so construct said device that if, when lowering a boat, the persons operatingit shall quit their posts, all movements will cease and no accident w'll that when a boat has been lowered into 'the water and the ropes or cables detached therefrom they may be very quickly brought back to their original position ready to be attached to and lower another boat. Eighth, to provide one or more cone friction brakes with suitable operating mechanism whereby a person on 'the ships deck may control the safe descent of a loaded boat to the' water. Ninth, to provide one or more band brakes to said device, with suitable operating mechanism, whereby aperson on the ships deck may cont-rol the safe descent of a loaded boat to the water. Tenth, to provide means by which said band brakes may be operated by persons in the boat, so that in the case of a sinking ship the last man may be safely taken off from the ships deck. I accomplish these important life saving results by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a general sectional view of a portion of two decks of a ship showing my device on the upper deck. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing my device on the next deck below the upper deck. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of my device with the winding mechanism supported upon the davits and the intermediate parts uponcolumns fixed. to the deck. Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device .as shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an elevation of my device attached to the side of the ship below the rail. Fig. 6 is aplan view of the device as shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the worm gear operating mechanism supported on one of the davits. Fig. 8 is an end elevation of the device as shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 10 is a front elevation of the worm gear operating mechanism supported upon the side of the ship below the rail. Fig. 11 is ar end elevation of the same. Fig. 12 is a plan view of the same. t Fig. 13 is a front elevation of the disengaging clutch. Fig. 14 is an end elevation, in partial section, of the same. Fig. 15 is a front elevation of the cone friction brake. Fig. 16 isl a plan view 'of the saine. Fig. 17 lis an end elevation of the same. Fig. 18 is an end elevation of a portion of the operating lever of this device. Fig. 19 is an end elevation, in partial section, of the band brake mechanism; and Fig. 2O is a front elevation of a portion of the above.

Similar reference figures refer to similar parts in the several views. Y

My device when supported upon the davits halves are secured to each other by the cap screws 4, 4. Journaled in the brackets 2, 2 is the drum sl1aft5consisting of two parts, placed end to end, meeting in the center. The outer ends of these two are squared at 6 to receive a hand crank 7. Next to squared portion is fixed the worin gears 8, 8. Inside of the brackets 2, 2, are fixed the winding drums 9, 9, each having fixed to it the disk 10 of the band brake mechanism. On the opposite endv of the winding drum is fixed the outer member 11 of the concv friction brake. A worm 12 is adapted to engage with the worm gear 8,. and is fixed to the worm shaft 13, which is squared on its vfront end to receive the hand crank 7. This shaft is journaled inthe eccentric sleeve 14, which in turn is journaled in a projection on the bracket 2, and has fixed to its rear end the lever 15. By means of the veccentric sleeve 14 and the lever 15 the worm 12 vcan be readily thrown out or 'brought into engagement with the worm gear 8.

Upon` the flanged disk 10 (Figs. 19 and 20), is fitted the friction, band 16, whose lower end is fixed to the bracket 2, and whose opposite end is fixed to the vertical rod 17, whose lower end is pivoted to the foot treadle 18, which in turn is pivoted to the deck 'at 19. The curved rod 20 is fixed to the bracket,2 and its upper end passes through the loop 21 fixed to the friction band 16 serving to loosely hold the band 16 in place. To the upper end of the rod 17 is pivoted the lever 22, which is pivoted to the bracket 2 and has attached to it the brake rope 23, which passes up and over the sheaves 46 located under the ships rail. This provides two methods of operating this brake, which will be referred to later. The cone friction brake, the details of which are shown in Figs. 15, 16,17 and 18, consists essentially of an outer cone member 11, fixed to the drum 9 and the inner cone member 24, having formed upon it the ide sleeve 25 and the. lever sleeve 26, ioosely fitted upon the drum shaft 5. Formed in the guide sleeve 25 are longitudi- V nal grooves fitting upon the fixed ribs 27,

formed upon the supporting column 28. The inner of the lever 29, pivoted to a projectionfrom the rear rib 27, and embracing thev lever sleeve 26, to which it is loosely pivoted by the pins 30.l This lever engages segment 31, having yits outer edge serrated torecei've' the tip of-the thumb latch 32, held in contact therewith by the usual spring.

The drumshaft 5 is divided in the center member 24 is operated by means' and the two parts connected or disconnected by'thc simple clutch shown in Figs. 13 and 14. The clutch member is fixed to one part of the shaft `while the clutch member 34 is splined to and slides upon the other part, the inner' ends of the two parts being supported by the yoke or bracket 35 forming part of the column 3G. The sliding clutch member is provided with the usual groove to which is fitted the shipper fork 37, which is fixed to the shipper rod 3S, whose ofiice is to disengage the clutch members, which, when released, are immediatelyv thrown into engagement by the spring 2&9. he shipper rod 3S is controlled b v either of the hand levers 40 pi voted to an extension from the column 28, or the bracket 27.

Iv'hen the device is located on any deck other than the upper one the arrangement is as shown in Figs. 2, G, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. In this case the bracket 2 is formed integral with and supported by a bracket 45 adapted to be bolted to the ships side, under the rail. In a. similar manner the cone friction device, (Figs. 15, 16, 17 and and the clutch mechanism, (Figs. 13 and 141 are supported by suitable brackets fixed to the ships side, thus leaving the deck clear of obstructions up to the rail.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 it will be seen that my plan is to attach a single rope or wire cable 41 ...to each of the win ing drums 9, 9 and pass it directly through a sheave block 42 at the outer end of the davit 1, and down to the boat 43, as in Fig- 1, or first through anj'intermediate sheave block 44, at the upper end of the vertical portion of the davit 1, and thence to the sheave block 42, as shown in Fig. 2. This first method is used when the device is supported on the davits on the upper deck, while the second method is used when the device is located on any deck .lower than that'upon which the davits are located.

The rope 23' (Fig. 19), for operating the band brake is -passed up from the lever 22 ,andcover a sheave 46 located under the` ships rail from whence it extends .into the boat to be' lowered, where a sufiicien-t length of it is coiled.

In cases of serious accidents to passenger carrying ships at sea it is a matter of most vital importance to be able to lower the boats rapidly and in an orderly manner, taking in the passengers to be thus rescued on the boat deck or from any of the lowerdecks, and at all times keeping the boats on an even keel, thus avoiding the accidents l that have heretofore occurred by one end of the boat being lowered muchl faster than the other.

In the ordinary method of lowering boats the whips of the lowering tackles are held by men on the boat deck who gradually pay out the rope permittingI the dei boat to descend. The two gangs of men, one at the bow and the other at the stern, will usually fail to pay out an equal length of rope, hence it is necessary for some person in the boat to supervise their action in the endeavor to keep the boat on an even keel. This operation becomes much more difficult in the excitement of a serious accident to the ship. In the excitement of such occasions it is vefy diflicult to hold a boat sus pended in proper 'position to load passengers at a deck lower than the one upon which the men who control the whips are standing, as has been proved by unfortunate experiences. Again when a ship has `been .disabled and is sinking by the bow or by the stern and the deck is considerably inclined it is all the more diiiicult vto get the boat to a condition of even keel and to so maintain it. In the design and construction of my device these conditions as well as others equally important ai'e successfully met.

By the use of a single rope at each davit, attached to a drum having ample power by means of a worin gear device, leading the opposite end of the rope through a single sheave block at the point of the davit and thence down to the boat to be lowered, a very simple device is provided that may be successfully operated even during the eX- citement of such conditions as exist on a sinking ship.

By the use of the worm and worm gear lde'vice, not only is great power developed, but in case of accident to the men at the cranks, or of nien quitting their posts, the device simply stops and no accident occurs.

If the urgency of the case so demands, either the band brake orthe cone friction brakes, or both maybe used, the worm and v worm gear being thrown out of engagement and the boat lowered as quickly as safety permits. f

With a complete device consisting of the worm gear device, the band brake and the cone friction brake at each davit, six separate methods of controlling thelowering of a loaded boat are provided. This duplication of safety devices is provided so that if one or more of these should be accidentally broken or fail to operate there would still be ample means with which to continue the operation of lowering'the boats.4

The complete devices maybe conveniently placed upon the davits on the upper deck, the cone friction brakes and clutch mechanism being supported upon short columns fixed to the deck. Boats placed upon cliocks within reach of the davits when they are swung inboard, as shown by dotted lines in Figs. l and 2, and in this position may be filled with passengers, the ropes attached, the boats raised, swung over the rail and lowered away, the descent safely-controlled by any of the different devices described. By means of the line 23, which is thrown into the boat as it is lowered away, the occupants in the boat may handle the band brake and thus readily control the descent of the boat. Thus the last man may be taken from the deck without the dangers incident to the usual precarious means used.

Where it isl desirable to locate the device on a deck below that upon which the davits are located the arrangement is as shown in Fig. 2. `Yet boats may be as readily loaded while on the chocks, raised, swung over the rail, and lowered as readily as when these devices are'attached directly to the davits.

When the ship is sinking with one end much lower than the other the clutch at the center of the drum-shaft is thrown out of engagement and the lowering rope at the higher end of the deck quickly run off a suficient length to compensate for the in- Cline of the deck, the clutch allowed to close by the action of the helical spring, and the launching operation proceeded with as before described.

Another advantage of my method of lowering boats is that while one boat is being lowered another may be placed on the shocks by means of one of the ships booms, or in any other convenient manner, and loaded ready for the lowering ropes which are quickly returned by throwing the worm out ofengagement with the worm gear, or releasing the band brake, or the cone friction brake, as the case may be, and placing the hand cranks directly on the drui shaft at 6.

When the davits are a sufcient distance apart and have suficient overhang life rafts may be loaded, raised, swung over the rail and lowered safely to the water,

thus affording an additional means of savin life.

ile the foregoing description of the construction of my devices` is explicit and ofthe preferred design, I do not wish to have it understood that I limit myself to the exact design and construction shown and described as there may be a considerable degree of variations without departing from the general principles and design therein contained.

W'hat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. In a device for lowering shipsv boats, the combination of two winding drums, boat-lowering ropes wound upon them, independent mechanisms for ope. ating said drums, shafts rigidly connected to said drums, a clutch for connecting and discon necting said shafts, and means for actuating the clutchvfrom points adjacent either drum operating mechanism.

2. In a device for lowering ships boats, the combination yof two winding drums,

boat-lowering ropes wound upon them, in dependent mechanisms for manually oper ating said drums, shafts rigidly connected to said drums and located in alinement with each other, and means for connecting and disconnecting the inner ends of said shafts from 'points adjacent both drum operating mechanisms, substantially as and for the purposes .described 3. In a. device for lowering shi the combination of drums, and in shafts for said drums, said shafts placed in line end to end; with a clutch device consisting of a clutch member fixed to the first shaft, a clutch member adapted to slide upon and splined to the second shaft, a groove in said sliding clutch member, a shipping fork adapted to iit in said groove, a shipping rod fixed to said fork, one or more hand levers adapted to longitudinally move said rod, and a helical spring adapted to hold said clutch members in engagement s boats, ependent Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents nach, by addressing the when said levers are relieved from manual control.

ln a device for lowering ships boats, the combination of two drums, means :for manually operating the same independently, a two-part 'shaft for said drums, and manually controlled means for disconnecting the parts or" the shaft; with a band brake controlling device for .each of said drums consisting of a disk ixed to said drum, a flexible band fitted to the periphery of said disk, one end attached to some fixed part of said device, a lever pivoted to said fixed part and connected to the free end of said flexible band, and a rope attached to the free end of said lever and lcd through suitable guiding sheave blocks to the boat to be lowered, substantially as described.

SOLOMON E. AARON. Witnesses:

@SCAR E. Fnmeo, MARY E. McPHnnsoN- Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. GJ 

